


Everybody's a Critic

by SickTrashBoi



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Manipulation, actually a pretty healthy relationship at first, maybe some smut, sebastian is mr. steal yo girl, stefano being a faker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:55:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29914470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SickTrashBoi/pseuds/SickTrashBoi
Summary: When Alex Reeves gives Stefano Valentini a positive review of his work things start off rather well. Especially considering it doesn't take long to meet him, but Stefano isn't just some photographer or artist-he's a murderer. Is there still time to save him or is it too late?
Relationships: Sebastian Castellanos/Original Character(s), Stefano Valentini/Original Character(s)





	1. Starving Artist

__

_**Boss Man:** Hello Miss Reeves! Don't forgot about the gallery tonight, looking forward to seeing your notes tomorrow so you can give Krimson Times another interesting review! Remember, the deadline is only three days away, thank you._

_**Me:** How could I forget?? :) Looking forward to giving my insight. See you Monday!_

How on Earth could such a douchebag come off so friendly over text? "Miss Reeves" and her "interesting" insight would never tell.  
It had been awhile since Alex had attended a gallery. There was a certain excitement and electricity that came with such a place. The weather was chilly, a cool breeze brushing her neck as she walked briskly to the venue, her purse only holding the notepad and pen she'd be using and a few other essentials. It would've made more sense to take her car but parking tended to be a pain since it was a local gallery, besides, she lived close anyway. It had been a good idea to wear a trench coat she supposed. The lights of the gallery brought warmth back to her freezing hands and numbed nose. Warmth spiraled into the surrounding air, the yellow glow of the lights from the building like a breath of fresh air.  
Yes, Alex missed this feeling.

The charming stone steps and old wooden doors greeted her with fond memories as the young critic found herself ever so slightly giddy. As soon as the doors opened the smell of snobbery and oil paint greeted her nose. That was something she had grown accustomed to in her years of art exploration. People. Petty, rude, obnoxious. Half of them were in it for the money and the money alone. That was fine. You can't make art without money. No, the people who only cared about that. Those who stole inspiration and gave no credit, those who bickered over what 'real' art is. That was something she didn't miss. But art was like any other business in that way-always had been. There were hypocrites and assholes just like there were in any other medium of work.

That was why Alex was a good critic. She was open minded, but saw through the ass-kissing, prissy attitudes that putrified these crafted images that hung around her now. She was an honest critic, not mean or cold. Not overly kind either-just honest and subjective. There was no one right or wrong way to look at art.

Stefano Valentini wasn't a new name or face for Alex. She'd heard of him before, and she would be a fool to not know how the general public of Krimson perceived him. Hint-not well. Not at all. However she wanted to come in with an open mind. Alex only did research on his background, not his art. She didn't want to spoil the surprise or worse-come in with a biased perspective. A piece of his pulled in her eye almost immediately. She sauntered over to it and pulled out the pad and pen. The piece almost felt like it was swallowing her. It was massive, and oh so dark. There were hands stretching from the bottom of the piece up, begging for the light but being swallowed by darkness. Blood littered the limbs forever frozen in agony. From the light came a single pale feather. It looked like a shred of innocence among the suffocating mass of pain shooting from the bottom of the image. Heavy.

Alex let out a heavy sigh, startling a nearby patron who shot her a confused look. Alex only chuckled, vision slightly obscured by her dark fringe. Her hair was short- fringe on either side and a royal blue streak on the non-dominant side of her part. It was a way to stand out and blend in all the same. That was why she was here after all. Her own untainted judgement surrounded by the sour, tainted faces of the public. She began to scribble in the barebones of her review.

"'Valentini's piece 'Strained Light' is a great first impression. There is a heavy contrast between dark and light. Sin and innocence. His color contrast communicates a message of begging for freedom and regaining innocence."

She strolled over to another much simpler piece. An eye. Something so basic that can and has been reimagined in so many incredible ways. This one was no different. It looked... horrified. It was wide, the contrast heavy and iris pale. There were veins on either side of the eye, darkening it with it's bloodshot look. It only served to highlight the center, bringing attention to exactly how wide it was.

"There is beauty in his untitled eye photograph. A mood is set in this photo-one of fear. The viewer is immediately drawn to the center while not blurring anything around it. There is a gritty detail that sets the mood as anxious in this piece. Even fearful. Valentini is talented in pulling the audience into the atmosphere of his photos, almost as if you're there. The feeling can only be described as both suffocating and invigorating all the same."

She continued to peer at photos and scrawl down notes until there were none left unseen. Alex was beginning to feel fatigued and half of the patrons were gone already. Feeling satisfied, she gave her notes a once over, smiling to herself. Boss man was going to be pleased. She was sure of it.

Besides, he wanted an "interesting" opinion after all.


	2. One In a Million

Alex Reeves. She was a pretty well known critic considering she wasn't as experienced as some of those who had attended his gallery. All the better! A fresh eye. How did Stefano know all of this? Well he was actually a fan of one of her old pieces. She was once a painter, and a good one at that. Why Alex decided to be a critic instead, he wasn't so sure. The gallery had been a bust. Most of the reviews were awful and it was disheartening. Infuriating. But there was one that really stood out. One that wasn't just neutral or giving him the benefit of the doubt but an in depth piece explaining the beauty of his art and what it all stood for. This person could see Stefano's vision the way he intended, read and analyze everything from the lighting to expressions. Refreshing was the only way to describe it. And the author- Alex Reeves the open-minded fresh faced critic of Krimson city- was now a favorite of his. Finally someone appreciated his art!

"I just don't fucking get it- you're entitled to your own opinion of his work aren't you? What's everyone's problem?"

Alex sat across from her good friend Veronica who also worked for the same paper. That was how they'd met after all. Now they sat at a local coffee shop fuming over the ridiculous amount of backlash Alex had received. There were emails telling her that someone who looked at gore as "beautiful" had no place working for a local paper. Taking bits and pieces her review out of context wasn't rare, but she was going against the tide on something that a lot of people took really, really seriously.

"Some people are just squares, V."

"Well, what are you going to do about it?"

Alex scoffed, adjusting the collar of her ruffled blouse.

"There's nothing I can do except just... I guess just deal with it."

The unimpressed look on Veronica's face said it all. One brow arched while the other remained furrowed. There was a beat of silence between them, the smell of coffee beans heavy in the air. Giving up, Alex cleared her throat before speaking again.

"Look- they'll get over it eventually, alright? Anyways it's not like I care what those pricks think. That artist is damn good!"

Alex was stubborn, always had been. If she didn't want to do something about it or go to her boss so he would then there wasn't much that would sway her. Veronica sighed in defeat, adjusting the jacket of her blazer.

" _Christ, Alex-_ fine. But please if things keep going like this-"

Veronica abruptly stopped as the sound of the door swinging open and bells chiming filled the silence. Alex cocked her head to the side in confusion as her friend gaped behind her like a fish. The sound of dress shoes clicking on the wooden floor caught her attention and she turned her head to the side only to see who she least expected. Stefano Valentini was strutting up to the counter to order a coffee, a newspaper in hand. The newspaper that held Alex's review. He wore a dress shirt and a pair of slacks with a pair of shoes that could only be described as expensive. Her heart started racing immediately and her face paled as she attempted to stop staring. It was just such a crazy coincidence that he would be here. She had never seen him before in person and yet had so much to say.

"Alex- if you don't close your mouth people are going to think you're crazy."

"Oh." 

Of course he heard that, looking over his shoulder and flashing a handsome smirk in Alex's direction. 

"Shit. Maybe a little quieter next time, V."

Her friend chuckled at the sour look on Alex's face as she averted her attention to her iced mocha. She took a sip and glanced out the window as a distraction.

"I've never seen you look so nervous before."

"I'm not. I just never thought I'd see him. I know he probably read my review- god. This is so weird."

"Steel your nerves, girl. He's looking at you."

It was true. There, across the shop he sat at a table alone, stealing a quick glance at Alex. She was pretty. There was no denying it. But he was looking at her differently then most men did. He looked at her like she was an old friend. It definitely didn't help her nerves. She bit down on her lip and accidently caught her teeth on her own lip piercing, a wince overtaking her features.

"Nice one. Now you're bleeding _and_ have lipstick on your teeth."

Alex ignored her friend and used her napkin to clean herself up a bit. She leaned in, voice hardly above a whisper.

"Fuck it, I'm gonna go talk to him. Don't worry, it won't take long."

The surprised look on Veronica's face brought a small smirk to her own. It was time to be bold. Alex rose and made her way to his table, heels clicking on the ground and alerting him of her presence. She kept a respectful distance and he greeted her with a small smile. 

"Sorry to interrupt but if it's okay I'd like to talk to you a bit."

"Interrupt? Not at all, signorina."

His accent was beautiful, voice a bit deep and velvety. He gestured at the empty chair across from him and Alex promptly sat down. She extended a hand and flashed a small smile. If working for the paper taught her anything it was how to be polite.

"Alex Reeves. You're Mr.Valentini, aren't you?"

He gracefully accepted the handshake. Grip firm but not harmful in any way.

Stefano gave a nod, a smile present on his admittedly very handsome face. His visible eye was shockingly pale shade of blue that Alex couldn't help but be drawn to. She wasn't here for his looks though, no- she was here for her job above all else.

"You're bleeding."

Shit. She was. Warmth trickled down her lip as her piercing began to bleed from the previous self-attack. Before Alex could think of a way to remedy it Stefano was holding out what looked to be a pocket square. _His_ pocket square. Not a cheap one either. She lifted her hands in surprise, prepared to push it away.

"I couldn't-"

"-I insist."

"But that's your-"

"It's alright. I have more than one after all. Please." Was that a subtle brag? She gave him a small smile and hesitantly accepted, applying pressure for a bit while Valentini patiently waited. When the bleeding stopped she wiped her lip clean and sent the artist an apologetic smile. He simply chuckled and took a sip of his own drink. Alex prepared to hand him back the bloodied fabric, unsure of what to do with it. He shook his head, a small gust of air coming from him in the form of a chuckle.

"Keep it."

"Alright. Thank you, I-uh. I wanted to ask you about your work, if that's alright?"

She pulled out a pen and her pad from her shoulder bag.

"And would it be okay if I took notes? I work for the paper."

"Of course. I read your review, you know. "

"And?"

"It was.. it was meraviglioso- marvelous! To see a positive review of my work is one in a million. You truly have a good eye."

"What did you think of my analysis of some of your work?" He gave her a smile, the kind where you can see teeth and crows feet.

"Perfection."

The interview ended up going great. Not only did she get to know the artist better, but he knew her well enough now. He even ended up inviting her to his next showing. Even Veronica was impressed. Alex decided that trying her best to open up Krimson City to accepting new kinds of art through the paper would be a good idea. Besides, her boss always seemed to be running low on ideas. There was no way he could say no.


End file.
